Bright lights over his head, the sound of a heart rate monitor beeping. Slowly opening his eyes, trying to move his body but sharp pains were on his toes and glancing at his arm. Right arm having a cast over it. Opening his eyes to see five women in front of him. Jane, Lizzie, Heather, the woman he rescued in the shopping mall, and the gray haired woman Their eyes however, were not on Raven's face. It was in his direction but elsewhere.

AH. Well they are attractive ladies, so it's expected. I am still a man after all. BUT. WHY THE FUCK DID ALL OF THEM POP OUT OF NOWHERE?! Raven massaged the bridge of his nose. A sofa bed to the left.

"What did the doctor say?"

"Your wrist is fractured. You have lacerations on your legs and hands. A few fractured ribs and there's been some damage to your nerves." Turning to the doctor who held a notepad with Raven's injuries. A pair of glasses, a mole by her neck. A lovely smile as she placed a thermometer on Raven's mouth.

"Temperature is normal." Her nametag read 'Dr Michelle Krowley'.

"Thanks, doc." placing the pen in her pocket, then placing a mint chocolate lollipop to his mouth. In a field of flowers that was this room, Raven was the odd one out. If these ladies were the roses, he was the wildflower.

"You can be discharged today. Do you have insurance?"

"Nope. Too poor for that doc."

"Please let me pay for it. I hit you with my car."

"You must've been in a rush driving that fast. So don't worry about it."

"Lana Springly. I'm the Founder of Springly Industries. Please, it's the least I can do." That name was familiar and he just realized why. Raven's baton was made by Springly Industries.

"I got this baton from my recruiter. It might be broken, I hope you can get that fixed at least." Lana grabbed the baton, glancing into its frame.

"This is an old prototype. How did you get your hands on this?"

"Some red head who was recruiting bodyguards for Heather's company gave it. I think the blade's broken." Lana pressed the trigger as the baton slid off, showing the blade that was still intact. Taking a moment to inspect it, she glanced at him. The others were just trying to figure out what to say with Raven as Dr Michelle was caught up in this.

"Was this what you used to rescue me?" Heather broke the silence as the others read about the news.

"I... I haven't been able to thank you, yet. My name is Maya Linsworth. Thank you for stopping my ex-boyfriend that day."

"You're wel-" the notification popped up in front of him.

Capture Targets Have BEEN FOUND

Jane Prydwen 5/20 Stage 2 Lizzie Gridern 5/20 Stage 2 Michelle Krowley 1/10 Stage 1 Heather Atkins 1/10 Stage 1 Lana Springly 1/10 Stage 1 Maya Linsworth 1/10 Stage 1

"Miss Springly."

"Please call me Lana." Her interjection was noted as Raven glanced at the baton.

"Anyway you can fix it?"

"I'll have to take it to the engineers to see if we can. If we don't I'll have them issue a new one for you." Raven shook his head, where Lana furrowed her eyebrows. Perhaps not understanding why Raven didn't seem too happy with that suggestion. Seeing the blank expression but the eyes told the tale of disappointment. One that was silent but Lana picked it up. Feeling like she was seeing a swordsman from the period dramas that felt sad upon a sword that no longer works well.

"It's perfect for its weight and having an option to use a blunt weapon against foes I cannot kill makes it better. The blade to cut down enemies fast. I don't mind using guns, I find them convenient but using a blade makes the kills a lot more personal. The blade's weight and length makes it easy for me to work with. Saber length with a bit of heaviness so I just need to make sure the swing connects to my target." The coldness of how those words had sent them chills. The words fell out of his mouth easily, like he had been doing it for a while.

"I'll do what I can."

"Thanks. Doc Krowley, How long do I have to wear this cast?"

"Depends on how your body handles treatment. If you strain it during the recovery. So for the next 3 months try not to stress your wrist. Please call me Michelle. When you're ready for the discharge. Head to the counter."

"Erm.. Raven, if you don't have a job? Can I ask you to do some quality control work for some of our products?"

"It might be a good break for me too. Can I start today?"

"Of course but what will you do about your lodging?" Raven could see what the others were thinking, save for Dr Michelle who was keen on seeing the development here. The ladies were about to ask him to stay with them.

"You could stay with me." Jane got the jump on the rest of them first, with Michelle's amusement being present in the air.

"You can stay with me too!" Lizzie said as Raven scratched the back of his head. This was typical and he was in the hot seat to decide where to pick. They were darting off about who should stay with who.

"Lana where is my workplace?"

"It's by Hillford Ridge." Silence from the others as they turned to Michelle.

"Hillford is near my place. But why do you ask?"

"My apartment burned down last night. That's why they want me to get a place."

"Then just stay at mine." Michelle's words had the other ladies feeling a sense of defeat. Not just in the confidence she had but also by Michelle's commandeering voice.

"Doc. I don't want to impose."

"It's fine, it'll let me monitor you easier. If you do testing, there's no telling that you may hurt yourself in the process." She had a point there. Even Raven had to accept it. Though his mind was already in a state of uncertainty.

WOW. JUST. WOW. Do they not have a sense of danger? I'm just a stranger.

"Thanks. I'm going to get dressed. So you should leave." At first Lizzie and Jane were adamant but Maya and Lana pulled them away as Raven put on a sleeveless shirt and a pair of pants.Heading out where he signed the discharge form, and Michelle passed him the keys.

"Sorry about this."

"See you later. I get off in three hours." Bidding the others farewell as Raven headed to Michelle's place. An apartment with security, just looking at it. Raven could barely guess how much the rent in such a luxurious place would be. They had a gym, a swimming pool and a rooftop that one can rent for a barbeque. Whatever it was, Michelle's place was on the 5th floor. Heading in, to find clothes strewn everywhere. Sink that was filled with plates that weren't cleaned up. This place was in an even greater mess than anything else. A dining table that had notes and a book. Taking a quick peek, noticing a few pages that seemed to be wrinkled.

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"Must be the patients she couldn't save. That's why she keeps staring at these pages over and over again. But she's an orthopedic surgeon. Only way to grow in that profession by cutting up more and more patients. Hoping you can put them back together." Speaking out his thoughts as he decided to clean up the house, separating the trash into different bags. Airing out the rooms, opening the windows to get rid of any strong odors. Dishes cleaned.

Next up. Is the clothes. Raven opened the doors of the cupboard, where a mountain of clothes struck him down. A bra landed on the top of his head, where he could see the label as to Michelle's sizes. The information was no surprise but Raven just cleaned up the cupboard, separated the underwear from the other clothes. He was not going to wash them because that is too much. Even for him. The inner househusband was kicking in, seeing her fridge that had beers inside. Some vegetables, left over rice. Checking the freezer to see a pack of beef that was opened but wasn't used. For spices and sauces? Light, dark and superior soy sauce, oyster sauce, cumin peppers, cinammon, ginger powders, garlic powders. His plan?

Fried rice, beef and vegetable stir fry. Prepping the pan, using his left hand to chop. It wasn't too difficult considering Raven has had experience of his right arm blown off once, so he had to do things one handed. Didn't make him see it as a troublesome endeavor, just a slight handicap. Michelle rung the doorbell as Raven finished plating the food. Heading over to open it. Greeting her with a smile.

"I'm home. Oh..." She paused for a moment, glancing at her house that looked amazingly clean and the smell of the food reaching her nose.

"That should wake up your appetite a little bit. I'll sleep on the sofa. So don't worry about it." Raven said as he made his way to Michelle as she took off her coat, where Raven placed it on the hangar. Then taking his seat as he glanced at his phone.

"Didn't I tell you to not do anything that might stress your hand?"

"I used my left hand for everything. Don't worry. Eat up." Michelle took her seat, taking a bite. Then Raven heard her sobbing, seeing tears in her eyes as she had a spoonful of rice.

"Is it too spicy?"

"No I just haven't had home cooked food for a while!" Seeing her smile, enjoying the food he made was a good sight. Raven glanced back into the phone, reading about how Springly Industries had a variety of weapons made. From swords to guns. They were known for making unique weapons and concepts. Ranging from beginner equipment to advanced equipment for the ones who can afford it.

"So what are you looking at?"

"What I'm expected to check out tomorrow at work." Raven could see the pings of favorability rise bit by bit but he was going to ignore that for now.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're the perfect househusband?" He chuckled, seems like he gets that compliment in more than one life. He just wanted to be useful to the people around him.

"Heard that before. I'll sleep on the sofa. What time's your shift tomorrow?"

"I'll be on call tomorrow. Since the hospital is just 5 minutes away. So I'll be here for the rest of the day." She cleaned the plates where Raven went to the sink to start cleaning.

"Hey, I can clean it myself!"

"I know you can but you just got back from work. So get yourself cleaned up. Have a rest." Raven said as Michelle gave in, she took a step forward and tripped on the carpet where Raven used his right hand to catch her by the waist. Faces right in front of each other, he held his breath while Michelle was trying to get her bearings. Eyes locked with each other, haggard breathing.

"You're exhausted, Doc." Raven dried his hand and brought Michelle to her bedroom.

"I'll change your bedsheets later. Just go and sleep."

"But..."

"Sleep." Raven tucked her in, the stiffness in his wrists were intensifying but he's been through worse. This much isn't too bad. Then suddenly a screen popped up.

Michelle Krowley. STAGE 3!

Bonus Skill Unlocked.

Faster Recovery

When not in combat, you can heal injuries fast. Broken bones takes a few days rather than months. Full mobility will be returned hours after a full recovery.

When reaching to higher stages. You will gain more unique passives.

TAKE NOTE.

YOU CANNOT PROCEED WITH ANY ROUTES UNTIL BLACKOUT HAS BEEN DEALT WITH.

The stiffness was gone. Raven read more details where a news article of a crime group known as Blackout had been surfacing. They target the rich and famous in exchange for ransom and blackmail cases that increase by the minute. Targets included Heather and Jane. Police have been having trouble. Protection Agencies are worried about the seriousness because Blackout is a group that does not care about human life. They weren't the classic villains. These were professionals. They would pull the trigger against a hostage. They don't care about the body count as long as their jobs were done.They speak like negotiators to stall time. Then have intricate plans to get away. The heads were once imprisoned but they manage to break out. They also attacked Springly Industries. Killed a few people in the process.

It was better off this way, Raven would not want to go up against them but if this was the case, he's going to have to handle them in his own way. A group with a reach that was just as wide and deep, maybe even government officials. Only way to deal with a group like this? Is to be lethal. His phone rang, revealing an unknown number.

"Hello."

"Young man. You saved my daughter's life not just once but twice. Including my life... I want to ask you if I can reward you with anything but..."

"Blackout's been taking more steps against you?"

"Yes... Our current bodyguards aren't... Enough. Which is why..."

"I can't do work as a bodyguard but I do plan to do something else. I'll send you a list of clothes that I need you to make, Chairman." Silence.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Handle the problem." Raven said as he hung up. Sending the details to the chairman. A long coat that will have plates sewed within. His next phone call was for Lana.

"Hello?"

"I heard about Blackout." Silence as Lana had to think of what to say.

"Yeah. So your work place got trashed..."

"It's fine. I'll take any prototypes you have and go into it. I'll need you to make me a mask. It's a design I came up with." Raven sent the mask, it was designed to be a plain black mask that does not show the eyes with a special layering to let Raven see through it. The design incorporated current technologies that Springly Industries was known for.

"Raven... What is this?"

"I'll come and pick it up tomorrow." Putting his phone aside as Raven was preparing himself. Taking a time to meditate. History was going to repeat itself. A pop up appeared before him.

Accumulated Karma.

3000.

Causality has responded to your desire to destroy Blackout. You may now purchase a few items.

Abyss Gaze's tenacity - 500 points Durandal's Strength - 500 points Smiling Mime's Tender Foot skill - 500 points Scorpio's Shock Absorber -100 points Abyss Gaze's Waltz in Black - 1000 points Shady Enforcer's Tatoo - 1000 points.

"Shady Enforcer's Tattoo. Abyss Gaze's Waltz in Black. Durandal's Strength. Smiling Mime's Tender Foot skill." The skills were bought as Raven felt his body shift accordingly, feeling the strength pulsating in his veins as he heard the cast slowly cracking. Waltz in Black for high evasion rates, Tender Foot to close in the gap. Enforcer's tattoo that strengthened his body further, it would also reduce his sensitivity to pain. Taking off his shirt and the cast, Raven glanced into the mirror by the toilet. Seeing the fullness of the tattoo covering his entire body. Roses to his chest, vines that stemmed all the way to his belly button. Turning to see tattoos of chains coiling on his arms with crows perched on it.

When dusk had arrived, Raven had taken off his cast. Preparing a meal for Michelle. As he made the meal, Raven's thoughts were darting back and forth in his mind. For the craziness this Causality has with its romance tropes, the villains were competent. Especially the named groups. It would be necessary if he handled Blackout quickly so he can go back to the dating and spending time with the ladies.

Michelle woke up to eat her meal, seeing Raven without the cast.

"Raven, why did you take off the cast?"

"It's fine. My grip got stronger. Seems like my body recovered fast. Doc."

"Michelle."

"Doc. I'm speaking to you as my doctor. I won't be coming home from tomorrow onwards. I need to take care of something." Her eyes seemed defeated.

"Did.. I do something wrong?" Her face seemed concerned and her eyes unable to process what she heard from Raven.

"No, but I'm not going to be reachable for a few days. Maybe longer. If I do contact you it'll be a by a different number. I'm going to sleep first."

When the next day came, Raven left the house Michelle was silent as a result of what she heard. The clothes had been sent to the testing center where Raven found the mask that Lana had prepared. Glancing into it, it would be the best way to hide his identity. Followed by Raven cutting the tail of his hair, letting it rest over his neck like a thick mane. Lana, Jane and Heather along with Jane's father, Chairman Oskar Prydwen were present. Raven took off his clothes, save for his underwear. Seeing Jane, Heather and Lana block the sight with their hands, squirming at how easy Raven did it. Putting on the new suit.

"The prototypes are here. Your baton's been repaired." Putting on the fingerless gloves, holstering the pistols to his thighs. The long baton was in his hand, a pair of knives to the back of his hips.

"What do you plan to do?" Chairman Oskar asked.

"Hunting Blackout. The faster they die, the quieter things will be. Suit's good, I'll contact you on what needs to be improved as time passes." Raven said as he put on the mask.

"During that time, if the other ladies ask where am I. Tell them I went off the radar." With those words, Raven left. Nobody could stop him.